is a lyar now that he should swear to that Testament of Christs blood it is even because we should have hearts strengthened to believe and therefore now it is a shame if we have not more faith obedience and holiness then heretofore Certainly if we had faith instead of our presumption what abundance of peace of conscience and sweet and comfortable joy might we have because Christ hath done so much for us as we have heard and all that nothing might hinder the salvation of a poor believing soul. Now to handle this point as it is contrary to the erronious doctrine of the Church of Rome Who can condemn none This is the speech of the Apostle in the person of every true believer as well as those to whom he then wrote at Rome Onely those that have but a weak faith the weaker assurance yet all shall find the truth her oâ— if they believe both weak strong this then may serve in the next place against that tormenting and racking Doctrine of doubting so much maintained by Bellarmine t is true indeed saith he we doubt not of Gods mercy and the merit of Christ nor of the efficacy of the Sacrament c. but in regard of our own indisposition infirmities unworthiness and sins in respect of these we ought to doubt and fear And so by a counsel hath the Romish Church accursed all such as say they are assured of their Salvation though here every believer is enjoyned to believe it assuredly But as the Psalmist saith he that loves cursing it shall enter into his own bowels But what are Bellarmines reasons against assurance First Saith he because of our unworthiness But to this I answer to what purpose should the Apostle speak that which he doth here if our own unworthiness or sins could condemn But if they stand upon unworthiness we will say as much of our selves as they can possible But seeing Christ hath undertook as our surety in our stead and God through his grace gives power to believe he takes away our unworthiness and gives us Christs righteousness to go out and in as he hath done and so we make all our challenge in Christs name not in our selves and so our unworthiness obliges us more strongly to rest our selves upon Christ. In which case we resemble the vine that goes up layes hold on that which is stronger then it self so we in our selves weak close with Christ in whom God looks on us not as we are in our selves but in him in whom he is well pleased So we stand not upon nor look unto our righteousness but to God in Christ by whom our sins are washed away in his bloud and our persons covered with his righteousness I but saith he the promises of Salvation are made conditionally if we repent and beleeve now in regard of our selves we cannot beleeve and therefore we are to doubt To this the Apostle shall answer Though the promise of Salvation be conditional yet every on that truly beliveth his faith hath from God a light in it that makes him believe and repent 1 Cor. 2. 12. Wee have received saith the Apostle not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God So that the true believer hath received such a light from the word which letteth him see and know in some measure that hee hath faith and repentance Then what can hinder him from believing in Christ that hath done all this for him he may know he is chosen in that he is effectually called he may know he is effectually called in that he hath true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus and therefore he may be assured of his Salvation I but who can tell saith he that he hath sufficient faith and sufficient repentance Our assurance depends not upon the sufficiency that is upon the measure but the truth of our faith and repentance As our faith is true and strong so is our assurance though it be but as smoaking flux yet if it be true Christ will not quench it It stands not upon this how much or how little we believe but how truly Acts 16. 31. Beleeve in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved They said not believe thus much I but saith he a true believer hath many secret sins how can he then be assured The true believer though he do fall into sin yet if he be in Christ and Christ raign over him then sin raigns not over him and so long there is no condemnation to him as it is Rom. 8. 1. Seeing that sin doth but dwell though it trouble so it raign not it hinders not but he may have assurance Assurance may stand with secret sinnes that a man confesseth and humbles himself for but if a man be given up to any sin he cannot be assured else he may howsoever sin may trouble him much Lastly He saith we must doubt in regard of our selves because all we have is but natural assurance A man may hope well that he grants but he cannot be certainly assured Romanes 5. verse 5. He that hath sound hope is assured That I soundly hope I know for I truly believe which shews what the Doctros of the Romish Church are Though greatly learned yet fearfully given over to delusion for all true hope is grounded upon present faith So that if a mans hope be sound his faith is sound and therefore the true believer may have assurance A true Christian he looks not on himself but upon Christ what he hath done for him utterly disclaiming his own merits Now we have heard this great Doctors reasons and confuted him by scripture let us hear the instances he brings out of Scripture to maintain doubting There are three examples Bellarmine brings of holy and righteous men in Scripture that saith he durst not stand upon assurance where is then that man saith he that dare presume of his assurance The first is Iob. 27. 6. where he saith my heart shall not reprove me all my dayes I have lived so as in the main I have had a care to please God therefore â—…t my friends say what they will I will never forsake my righteousness Now saith Bellarmine If a man can say thus and yet fear as he doth Iob 9. 20. saying If I would justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me If I would be perfect he shall judge me wicked Though I were perfect yet I know not my soul. Who then dares stand upon assurance For answer hereunto we must understand and know that justification is double First from Faith Secondly from the fruits of faith namely that righteousness we receive by his grace the Imputative righteousness that is by faith in Christ that Iob there speakes not of so that we go not about to free our selves by our own righteousness or any thing that we can do but by Christ.
those that are bruised reeds who complain with Paul that they cannot do as they would they are unable to pray and perform good duties as they would they find themselves still weak they are able to grapple with an easy lust but a strong one is too hard for them they are able to creep but not to run the way of Gods commandments Go to the word be conversant there and it will strengthen thee though insensibly as daily sucking makes a child battle though they see it not so if one be conversant in the word he will grow stronger by it and will make himself as a grey-hound comely to run and run apace not onely in plain wayes and like a child that cannot get up a pair of stairs but it will make him climb the craggiest rocks and will make him a victorious King able to overcome strong temptations as St. Paul said to the people when they asked him how they should do when he was gone he said I will commit you to God and his word of grace intimating that if they had that it were no matter whether they had him or no. Therefore if one have lost his first love his first beauty and colour let him go to the word and it will bring it again because it takes away the sickness that takes away the colour onely some cautions must be observed First It must be constantly read it is not enough when we are hindred of other businesses then to take a boâ—k in our hands by accident but it must be read constantly his is commanded the King who hath the greatest buâ—…s Deut. 17. 18 Ios. 1. 10. The word is commanded to be read day and night if we must read it day and â—ight the least that we can do is to read some part of it evâ—ry day The best way therefore is to bind our sâ—lvâ—s 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 privâ—te prayer so to reading for it is a part of the â—…rifice this is eviâ—â—nt in David that did edeeâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his appointed food he had rather miss his meat thâ—n this Word he had rather keep a constant course in reading the word then in his appointed food Secondly It must be read with delight and meditation Psal. 1. 2 The blessed man delights in Gods Law and meditates in it day and night viz. he reads and doth delight in that he reads and meditates in it for both go together and therefore he is like the tree planted by the waters side that brings forth his fruit in due season but he that reads it without delight is as a dry tree that sucks no sap from the root and hence it is that meditating is put for reading Ios. 1. 8. Thou shalt meditate in it day and night and so I take all places to be meant where meditation is commended for want whereof a man is confused in those things that he most delights in and will be excellent in therefore the word must be read with delight Thirdly It must be read with prayer if we receive not our ordinary food without prayer much less spiritual why then should we read the word without it the means indeed hath a nourishing faculty inherent in it but yet we must pray or else it will not put forth his force the word bath a nourishing facultie going along with it whereby it nourishes but the holy Ghost must work and cooperate and unless he do so it cannot profit and this is the reason why many hear and profit nothing because the holy spirit works not with it and it works not because they pray not for it that so they may have it Luke 11. 13. God will give his holy spirit to them that ask him had we not need then to pray as David did Psal. 119. Lord teach me thy statutes and open mine eyes to see the wonders of thy Law he reads it but he knowes that prayer will fetch down the spirit pray then for it for that puts a nourishing faculty into the Word and the word nourisheth not without it If we do thus it will strengthen us if we be weak and heal us if we fall into a consumption of grace Fourthly It must be read or heard in faith that was the reason that it nourished not and why it did not strengthen because it wanted faith look what seed is thrown into baren ground it takes no root downward nor brings no fruit upward such is the word to an unfaithful heart but look what seed is sown in good soil and that is fruitful so is it with the word being heard with faith 1 Thes. 1 2. 13. It wrought in all those that believed as if he should have said it is believing of the word that makes it effectual otherwise it is as the shining of the Sun to blind eyes and falling of rain upon rocks Though they of themselves do lighten and be enough of themselves to lighten and make them fruitful yet the fault is not in the Sun nor the rain The word is a sword but faith sets an edge on it to divide between the marrow and the bones that makes it lively without which it is a dead word there is no life at all in it See it in particulars the word saith Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain did you believe this and seriously consider this that it is Gods commandement it would be effectual unto you to make you beware were that in Rom. 7. duly considered that the least sinne keeps on in the state of damnation it would make them look about them and try whether they were in the faith or no. If that in Gal. 5. were seriously considered that whosoever is in Christ hath crucified the flesh and the affections of it that if any lust be alive in us we are not Christians Were this well weighed it would make natural men know that they were in a damnable estate It is profitable therefore in reading of the word to joyn with it such disjunctions as these which follow either it is the word or it is not if it be then it is true or not true If true then infallible for so it is if it be the Word of God and thus ought we to build on it and guide our course of life by it Prov. 12. 13. if that were considered viz. That none should be established by wickedness then men would not get goods by inordinately and by unlawful means nor in an indirect manner if that 1 Cor. 6. 9. were considered that no fornicators nor adulterers shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven if this I say were believed and applyed in particular men would not continue in it nor rest tell they were washed and sanctified if threatnings in the word were throughly believed they would make us fear if the promises were believed they would make us rejoyce if the commandements were believed they would make us obey Concerning outward things if one bring another newes of any true good if he
believe how doth he rejoyce on the contrary if we tell one of an evil about to happen to him as if a Physician should tell a man he should die presently if he should believe it it would make him sad if one told another of a good course of life if he did believe it to be so he would take it so if there be any promise in the word if it were believed it would make a man to rejoyce if we did believe any threatnings we would fear them more then any cross if we did believe any direction we would follow it faith is the pen that writes the word in the heart to wit in the will which hath an influence in the whole man therefore God mâ—kes his convenant that he will write his word in their hearts Fifthly It must be received with an honest heart Luke 8. 15. it is required and it is the quality of the fruitful ground to receive the seed of the word into an honest heart that is when a man comes with resolution to do whatsoever he sees to be Gods will And it stands in two things First To be easy to be convinced of a truth to be hard to be convinced of an untruth is a sign of an honest heart Ier. 4. 3. 2 These that Ieremy told they should not go into Egypt would not believe but said he spake falsely and the reason was because they were unwilling to staâ— in Iudea whence it is plain that if the will be bent to do a thing the understanding will hardly hold the contrary Let reasons be brought out of the Scriptures to prove usury unlawful and to prove that sabboths must be kept holy if men will not be kept in or will not be so straight laced they will not be convinced the spirit must convince them Otherwise for the Minister to speak without the spirit is as it were to bring a letter 〈◊〉 written without a candle to read being dark For the Minister may bring reasons but if the spirit light us not to read them they will not profit us nor convince us Secondly It stands in doing whatsoever we are convinced of See an example of an honest heart to be considered in Cornelius Act. 10. 33. we are here present saith he to Peter to hear whatsoever is commanded of God to hear viz. to obey See in Nathaniel behold a true Isralite in whom there is no guile This is guile in a mans heart when he makes a shew to do many things and deceives himself in doing them See in Paul when he was strucken down to the earth Act. 9. he said Lord what wilt thou that I do and I will do it And so he did not onely in doing but suffering for him and such a heart is in every man after conversion for till then he will not give his shoulders to the yoke See an example of an honest heart seemingly in Iohanan Ier. 42. where he bids Ieremy to go to God and see if they should go down into Egypt there he made a shew that he would do whatsoever God commanded yet after he tells him he intends it not unless the word should run with the streams of his affections Ezech. 14. 3. these men saith God have set up idols in their heart yea and a stumbling block before their faces So that there is an Idol in the hearts of many when they come to hear and that hinders their profiting by it and hearing by accident that makes it worse as we see in Physick impurum stomacum quo magis nutrieris eo magis laseris an impure stomack the more it is nourished the worse it is because the stomack is of that nature that either it assimulates the meat into nourishment or else rejects it but unto an unhonest heart the word is a reproach and therefore when in the Word it meets with admonitions it swells and is moved at them as if it were provoked by a defamation This concerns Ministers onely if the words of a Minister must be wholesome then Ministers must behave themselves accordingly And there are six advertisements for them First That concerns the act of doing and the five other the manner First If the words of a Minister must be wholesome then he must be diligent because his words must be health and Physick if he neglect this then he hinders them both of the profit of health and Physick And as none must do this so especially not those that have a flock depending on them For if he be worse then an infidel that provides not temporal food for his family what is he then that provides not spiritual food for them that depend on him asmuch as a family doth upon a master if he loves not his brother that hath this worlds goods and seeth him want and gives not to him how then doth he love God that hath spiritual food and seeth others want and gives it not As we count rich men cursed who are hoarders up of corn when the year is plentiful by not bringing it into the markets So there is no famine of the word knowledge doth abound as water in the sea yet a famine is made because Ministers bring it not out into the congretions that the people may feed thereof and live As any thing has more in nature so it communicates more to others The greatest luminary gives the greatest light the fullest fountain the most water the most fruitful soil brings forth the most fruit so ought we in good things to do as the preacher did Eccl. 12 9. The more wise he was the more he taught the people knowledge The Word is Physick therefore they are the Physicians and must heal them least they take that complaint Ier. 8. last Is there no balm in Gilead is there no Physitian there Why then is not the health of my people recovered Let us make up the similitude a little the word is balm the Ministers the physicians the people patients now we reckon him no better then a murtherer that being sent to a sick man should take his fee and all this time he is with him spend his time in sporting and let his patient die so if the people that are sick for knowledge send for a Physitian a Minister and give him his fee and he neglect them and they perish he is a murtherer Though many perish ex morbo non ex defectu medici by reason of the disease and not the defect of the Physician yet this is the fault in most Again if the word be food then the Ministers are shepherds and a shepherd must not feed himself with ease and pleasure not but that these may be conveniently taken but he must not spend his time in them See if this induction be not made Ezech. 34. 23. Wo to the shepherds that feed themselves should not the shepherds feed the flock they eat the fat and clothe them with the wooll they kill them that are fed by other But here because they
purse he cannot abide to let it be tryed but if it be sound and good he is not affraid to bring it to the touchstone God in this case will take nothing for currant but what hath his own stamp upon it The word of God hath that in it that will try us let us therefore every one deal sincerely with our own hearts as in the sight and presence of Almighty God that so we may know whether we have this blessed Grace of Faith or no. But before we come to this let us consider these grounds First That all that live under the Gospel have if not though it be called the word of Faith and be the very meanes to beget Faith For this look 2 Thess. 3. 2. where it is given as a reason why those that truly receive the Gospel are so reproached and hardly dealt withall by the world even because all men have not Faith for if all had Faith then could all be of the same minde and Holinesse Righteousnesse and Love would be their delight Secondly That this triumphing Faith which upholds a man and opens his mouth to speak upon grounds of Faith is so far from being a common giâ—t to all that but few indeed have it It is a special and peculiar grace that makes a man triumph over condemnation That this was hard to be found the Prophet complains in his dayes Isa. 53. 1. Lord Who hath believed our report And that not among the heathen onely but even among the people of God The like complaint Christ takes up in the very words of the Prophet Iohn 12. 38. Rom. 10. 16. He admires at the paucity of true believers So now the sound of the Gospel hath come to all of us but who shewes this faith of Gods elect in them This also we may see in the parrable of the sower wherein is set forth the estate of the visible Church Where there is but one sort of the four kinds of hearers that bring forth this fruit Three sorts come to hear some but for fashion sake or compelled thereunto some to get knowledge onely some to carpe scoff or catch somewhat to run to rulers with or to judge that which shall judge them one day This triumphing faith it ariseth from an Immortal seed of Gods word alone Thirdly That though there be but few that have this faith yet not the poorest and meanest of Gods children if they have any true hope of Gods mercy but in his time shall come to it Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed whosoever is Gods childe shall have this faith and therefore Titus 1. 1. it is set out to be a pecular grace and gift of God that onely belongeth to the elect Gal. 3. 6. all are said by faith in Christ to be Gods sons Iohn 10. our Saviour shewes as none will so none can believe but such as are Gods sheep that is his elect even those that are chosen in Christ to eternal life The fourth thing we are to consider as a matter to bee believed is That those that have this faith that will save their souls they may know they have it Which is against Bellarmines reasons of diffidence and doubting First They may know it to themselves for their comfort and next they may make it known to others by the fruits thereof 1 Cor 2. 12. That we may know saith the Apostle the things which are given us of God in Christ which is spoken in common to all that truly believe and not onely to any special person the true beleever hath such a light going along with his faith that he comes to know though not perfectly yet truly and infallibly that God hath chosen Adopted and sanctified him c. He takes hold of the promise of Salvation upon Gods commandment Faith is that which receiveth the word and promise and cherisheth himself in a special manner in the Word and Sacrament The Devils works are in darknesse God gives his in light and therefore his children are called Saints in light Col. 1. 12. and Iohn 15. 10. He that believes in the Son of God hath the witnesse in himself So that thou needest not have others tell thee that thou dost believe for if thou hast faith indeed t is not so hid and buried in thy heart but that thou mayest know it Secondly Others also may know it as it manifests it self in the fruits Rom. 1. 8. Their faith was spoken of far and near which was known by their wonderful change they were become new creatures such as were now of a holy life and conversation for which Paul thanks God and desires to be with them to be comforted with their faith and his own Nâ—xt to this considâ—r that this triumphing faith wheresoever it is kindled it will endure the tryal even the fire of Gods spirit it will endure also the fiery tryal of affliction 1 Cor 3. 13. It is not a chaffie or counterfeit faith that all the troubles or temptations can blow away But being begotten by the word it pacifies the conscience and stablishes the heart in the bloud of Christ And purges the heart to make it fit for the Holy Ghost to dwell in also it works by love and makes a man not churlish and froward but loving and that even to his very enemies for Christ sake thy heart will tell thee thus much and make thee say I thank God I have this faith in me Lastly seeing it is thus namely that it is the duty of all every one that lives under the Gospel to prove his heart and search it to the bottom 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith this shewes that it is not a thing to be taken as granted that we have this faith except we find that we have it indeed but to search and try our selves for it Because else we are in a great danger even in the state of reprobates Therefore examine thy self and if thou hast it bless God that ever thou wert born to be brought to such a blessed state wherein thou mayst thus triumph Now for the notes whereby thou mayest try thy self they may be these The first is taken out of Rom. 8. 15. yea have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abbâ—… Father Thou hast found thy self before to have bin in an estate of bondage as those believing Romans there who were accepted in an estate of fear and bondage under the curse of the Law and condemnation even in despair of themselves the spirit of Bondage for that time shews us the law that condemns us and makes it to triumph over a man so long as it lasts try therefore if thou hast felt thy conscience set on thee and found thy self to be condemned for thy sins Thus all Gods children truly converted indeed have felt though some more some less and lyen under it some a longer
Rom. 6. 1. the Apostle abhors even so much as to think of his former conversation to live in the corruption of it They that have this faith indeed there is an uproar as it were in their hearts against sin and when they are overtaken and stumble 2 Cor. 7. oh how careful are they to repent and pray to God to be washed from their sins And all this may serve to shew what kind of persons they be even the most fearful to sin and careful to please God of all others Paul after he was converted would rather never eat then he would justly offend his Brother and all because God had given him this triumphing faith This care and fear should be in all of us for he that is bold in sin say what he will he finds not this faith nor can triumph in it Sixthly It a man have this then is he the most forward unto and fruitfulness and abounding in good works above all others in the world for this faith it transplants and sets us being by nature wilde olives into Christ the true Vine who is no barren root but fruitful 2 Cor. 9. this we may see in the believing Corinthians charity he speaks of there and in the woman that cast all that she had into the Treasury and in Zacheus that gave half his goods to the poor faith opened his heart that before was nigardly and so Iohn 12. how did Mary pour out the ointment and that good woman Act. 9. 36. so full of chastity so also Acts 2. 4. they were now content all should be for Christ. Now these examples with many more are all set down for our learning and imitation if we will find indeed such a faith as will save our souls another day Seventhly he that hath this insulting faith he doth already conquer his enemies he finds the power of it dayly in giving him victory in some kind over his in-dwelling sin and strengthening him against the world and temptations leading him to sin though he find them not fully conquered yet is not his heart so fully and altogether taken up but that he hath some freedom in the midst of all the affairs and businesses of this world to set some time apart for Divine exercises to honour God he is not a slave to the world 1 Iohn 1. 5. this faith lifts him so up as he is above the dominion of the world though he may be often foiled yet gets he up again and gets ground of lusts daily and is not as many that are led away and made slaves to their pleasures profits c. This faith gets victory over the immoderateness of recreations and delights in some sort Lastly This faith 't is no phantasie of a mans brain but that which Gods Word is the ground of and therefore he that hath it it makes him receive the Ministers testimony to Gods Word which is true Now this faith it carries life in it whereby a man may know he hath it the Scripture is manifest for this Gal. 2. 20. The life that I live is by faith in the Son of God Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith and that righteousness which brings into Gods presence and favour it hath a light within which consists 1. In that if thou hast this triumphing faith then thou hast a sweet apprehension of Gods favour by an inward feeling of a reconciliation with an angry God whom thou hast so offended 2. In some peace of Conscience 3. Unspeakable joy in the Holy Ghost even when the world sets against thee and sorrows oppress thee 4 In a change a new creature the Dâ—vils image defaced and the Image of God that was lost restored 5. It shews it self also in warranting thy actions and letting thee see that the thing thou dost in regard of the substance is good also it covers the defects of thy actions in Christ and tells thee that God accepts of thy poâ—r endeavours in him and hereupon it is that Gods children when they find God reconciled to them and themselves once brought into his favour are so stirred up to good works and prayer also in afflictions that it is which keeps the heart close to God in his promises neither tying God to time means nor manner but waiting patiently for deliverance This faith also it hath his sence an eye an ear a hand c. likewise its voice both inward and outward when God sayes believe it makes a man find a spirit within sayâ—ng Lord I believe indeed it makes him also outwardly with the Publican confess his sin and wretchedness as also how doth a true believer pray he not onely speaks but even speaks because he doth believe Now of the lets to this faith there are a world of hindrances the Devil blows into the brains of men by ordinary conceits arising in their imaginations to hinder and keep them from such a faith as may assure their hearts that there is no condemnation belonging to them and so go on cheerfully about their business having all their wants supplied And there is indeed no Christian that is in Christ that can possibly be clean without them onely the difference is some have more some less but let us all well weigh them and they will appear all but conceits and to have no reality and truth in them 1. Now the first of these is That it is presumption which is a conceit the Papists take up and is in us all so far as we are naturally Popish we think this faith is but a presumption yet this is but a meer conceit for if we have faith it assures us through Christ that nothing can destroy us All presumption is either upon a mans own merit or Gods mercies as Divines acknowledge Now that faith doth neither of these it is plain for he first that knows Christ according to his Word layes hold on Christs merits and Gods mercy in him and so applies and rests thereupon before God labouring to bring forth fruit and so is assured of Gods love And this is no presum tion for he relies not upon his own merits but Christs 2. This faith builds not on Gods mercy at large but on his mercy in Christ he believes on him that hath satisfied Gods justice and therefore knows that God cannot but must needs shew mercy If this were presumption who would seek after it to lose his labour but this the Lord commands and therefore it is no presumption but obedience and duty to do it Nay if thou shouldst not seek after this faith and assurance it were a neglect and contempt of the Commandement of God A second impediment that keeps men from seeking this faith is a conceit that it is impossible ever to get it and this sticks too much in our unbelieving hearts and is strongly rooted in our ignorant Protestants that give themselves to other Books but not to the careful and conscionable reading of Gods Book
and that a man doth easily but to seek the things of Jesus Christ that is above nature and then there must be much intention a man must have something in him to move him to mind it most and above all other things When a boat goes against the streame and against the wind you know there must be much labour to drive it on So to seek the things of Christ it being above the the stream of nature there must be anintention from above you must beseech God to keep it in the intention of your hearts Now again to these two when a man hath given up himself to Christ and when he doth mind it and intend it and pray for it you must add to this faith without which no man can do it for this objection presently cometh what must I seek the things of Jesus Christ and not mine own what will then become of me how shall I provide for my self or for my family and those that depend upon me Now there must be faith to give this answer the Lord will provide for thee For till a man think that there is another that hath will and power to take care for him and to provide for him it is impossible that he should seek the the things of that other but believe this once that God will take care for thee and then thou wilt be content to deney thy self As if a Master should say to his servant be you diligent in my service I will take care for your meat and drink and clothing and when your apprentiship is out I will give you sufficient to live upon if the servant believe this he will be willing to neglect all other things and to seek his Masters profit and to intend his Masters business So here we should seek the things of Jesus Christ for saith he I will provide for you I will take care for you you shall want nothing in this present life you shall have all things necessary and when your appentiship is at an end I will provide an inheritance for you If you will believe these things and these promises you will then seek the things of Jesus Christ and not your own things You have a promise for this Mat. 6. seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof that is mind this one thing seek not your own things seek the Kingdom of God and then all things else shall be ministred unto you that is God will undertake to provide for you the things of this life you shall have enough of them Now to believe this promise this faith in the promise is that which prepares and enables the heart not to seek its owne things but the things of Christ. Now you must have not onely faith in the promise but faith in the providence of God for a man may believe the promise but because he doth not believe the particular providence of God that he is not onely able but that he doth bring things to pass and that all things are guided by him he is ready to doubt and to fear a loss if he seek the things of Jesus Christ. As Iacob and Rebecka they had both faith in the promise but because they had not a faith in the particular providence of God about the bestowing of the blessing therefore we know how they missed So Moses had faith in the promise that God would provide meat for a moneths time but he knew not how therefore you see how many objections he brought shall all the fishes of the sea be brought together and all the beasts of the field c. Therefore I say put these together when a man hath faith in both that is in the promise of God and in the particular providence of God that enableth a man not to seek his own things You shall see them joyned together 2 Tim. 3. for I know saith the Apostle whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him to that day Mark it as if he should say do not wonder at me that I am willing to lose my liberty and my ease or to endure so much cold and nakedness to expose my self to so many perills as I do for I trust God I believe God I have committed my safety and my life and my health and all that belongeth to me to him and I know he is able to keep it So I say now when you are about any business of Christ in which there is any difficulty or any hardness or any likelyhood of losing any thing except thou believe the particular providence of God and canst commit that which thou hast to God and say I dare trust him and I know that he will keep it for me thou wilt never be able to deny thy self and to do the things of Jesus Christ but if thou think that what thou losest for God God will keep it for thee thou wilt say thus wiâ—h thy self I will commit this unto God I know it shall be reserved for me and therefore whatsoever becomes of these things I will do the work I will do the business of Christ I will imploy my self in his service this makes a man bold in the most difficult cases So David I will lay me down saith he and sleep because the Lord sustaineth me That is I care not for any thing I have committed my self and my safety and all unto God and therefore when his heart was quieted and setled upon this that he knew whâ—m he had trusted he had faith in God in his promise and in his providence he had ground enough for rest This is the third thing that prepares us to give up our selves to Jesus Christ. Now fourthly Wee must adde to our faith Love for Love enableth a man to seek the things of Jesus Christ. Therefore 1 Cor. 13. it is said that Love seeketh not her own things If you would bring your hearts not to seek your own things but the things of Christ get Love That is you must know that self-love seeks its own things and the more self-love is in any man the more respect he hath to himself the more he seeks his own things which tend to his own advantage but the love of another makes a man seek the things of another it makes a man bountiful as Saint Paul saith I am ready to be bestowed for your sakes And therefore you have that saying that love edâ—fieth that is it makes the magistrate to take care for the good of the people the Minister for his charge c. The Mother and the nurse where they love you see what pains they take what neglect they expresse of themselves and all that they may do good to the Child for that is the nature of love And therefore when we do not seek the things of Christ it is an argument that we want the love of Christ and the love of God You see the
what abundance of peace and wealth is for even these things we most esteem but this is not the thing for here we need no exhortation Secondly Spiritual mercies those are they we do not hunger after we are backward enough to desire them and therefore we have so few of them Therefore that which I must press upon you is to desire earnestly these spiritual mercies if you desire them much you shall have much of them for you must know before you have them God will teach you to know how precious they are for if he hath commanded us not to cast pearls before swine he himself will not cast the riches of his mercy before those that prize and regard them not As for instance forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God this is a spiritual mercy this if you would hunger much after you should have it yea and according to the measure of your desires but when you prize it not that is it which keepeth it back you may say the like of all other mercies therefore prize them much that is be sensible of your misery without them call your sins to remembrance go over them summe them up and let your hearts stay and dwell upon the meditation of them give not over till you be touched with them and do this often we might be more humbled if we would take pains with our hearts but we slight it and do it overly as being an exercize needless and tedious but do it not so lâ—bour to get a sense of your sins that will make you prize the mercies of justification and reconciliation for this cause many thousands misse of the forgiveness of their sins it is not a thing they esteem much they do not strive and contend with God for it as a matter of such great moment whereas it is the preciousest mercy of all other it is the immediate door that openeth into the favour of God which is the cause of all other mercies and then no good thing can be withholden from you foâ— it is your sins that keep good things from you now if your sins were taken away what need you fear either diseases or death or revilings and disgraces for your profession or imprisonment or poverty if you had the forgiveness of your sins you might enjoy the prosperity you have freely and as for crosses either you shall be freed from them or else they shall be as serpents without a sting or as great bulks without burthen and weight this you should have if you had the forgiveness of your sins consider all this labour to sâ—t a price upon it and so for â—ll other mercies work your hearts to this to esteem the Mercies of God Again labour to see an excellency in them The same as I said of forgiveness the same may you say of love or of patience see the preciousness and excellâ—ncy of them the more you prize them the more you shâ—l have of them If you could beg for forgiveness as for life if you could reckon other things but as dross and dung in comparison of that as Saint Paul did which was nothiâ—g but the forgiveness of his sins you would be sure to have these mâ—râ—iâ—s but men do it not men live in prosperity in health and wealth and abundance of all things and such mercies as these they regard not forgiveness of sins reconciliation the gospel of Christ this they despise but we should prize these even then when they are nakedly propounded to us The reason we do it not is because we have not the sense of our misery What careth the innocent man for a pardon What careth a whole man for a medicine Mercy is the medicine of misery labor therefore to be sensible of your misery that you may partake of this mercy All the promises runne upon this condition all that are weary and heavy laden shall find rest Math. 11. The more weary any man is the more rest he shall have and so again the poor saith Christ receive the Gospel the more poor he is the more he shall receive and so he that hungreth and thirsteth after righteousness shall be filled the more you hunger and thirst the more you shall be filled In a word the more you desire the more you shall have The reason you have not these mercies is because you desire them not or else your desires are not strong for strong desires would bring forth strong endeavours and these would take spiritual mercies by force as it is said of the kingdom of heaven that it suffereth violence even so these violent desires would extort it from God by an holy earnestness A 2d way to be made partakers of the riches of Gods mercy is to believe them Adde to your desires a belief for believing is that which openeth the hand of God to give and openeth your hearts your hands to receive put but these two together to desire the mercies of God and to believe that God will give them and then open your mouthes wide God will fill them This I shal manifestly shew from these folowing places of scripture as we finde them often Go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole when Christ bestowed any mercy upon men that is added in the Gospel thy faith hath done it thy faith hath made thee whole if they were forgiveÌ„ they might thank their faith for it as it is the instrumental means to obtain the mercies of God the more faith the more mercies for we shal alwais find that by faith men obtained mercies and the want of faith missed them It is certain God is a merciful God you should finde him so if you could believe him to be so for the believing that he is merciful makes you partakers of the riches of his mercy because it is his pleasure to put it upon that condition he might have put it upon other conditions but this is his pleasure to say if you believe you shall have these and these mercies for faith knitteth us to him faith makes us to know him and makes us give him the glory of the mercies we have faith ascribes it wholy unto him it makes it every way to be his work faith makes us righteous now the righteous obtain mercy this faith is imputed for righteousnes God reckoneth every man the more righteous as he aboundeth in faith therefore the way to fill your selves with the riches of Gods mercy is to believe much and as you grow in faith so you shal grow from mercy to mercy if Christ could say to us as he did to the woman O woman great is thy faith we should be sure to have great mercies my meaning is this that beleiving is nothing else but this To be perswaded that God will be kinde and favourable to you that hispromises belong to you that he will pardon your sins and receive you into grace and favour with him that he loveth you and is your friend that he is ready to bestow
not of a disposition fit to receive these mercies of God that we declare to you So those that were invited to the mariage of the kings son in the gospel the text saith they were not worthy what was that They had no hunger after the feast they prized it not and therefore they were unwilling to come If you would therefore have the mercies of God be worthy of them labour to be in a disposition fit to receive them Now as we said before by worthiness we do not me an any measure of grace whatsoever or any preparations as if they came under any merit or desert it seems good to the God of all grace by deeply affecting and humbling of us under our sins to beget in us vehement desires after Christ our Saviour Again you must take a resolution to serve him with a perfect heart for the time to come though you have no worthiness for the present if you be in such a disposition as you have this the more so you shal have the more mercies But this is not all it is true this is required in the beginnings of mercy viz. an exceeding great desire after forgiveness But a resolution to serve God for the time to come this is to receive or to be worthy viz. to be willing to part with father and mother and all for Christ such a disposition must be wrought in you before you can lay hold upon any part in these riches yet I say this is not all but if you would have these mercies continued you must walk worthy of them those gracious qualifications are ordered in tendency to your introduction and admittance into the Covenant of grace and the mercies here spoken of but after you are brought into covenant with God you cannot secure the comfortable contents of it unlesse you labour to walk worthy of them pleasing the Lord in all things as St Paul saith and as it is in Psal. 18. 25. with the upright man thou wilt shew thy selfe upright and with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward that is you shall finde as much mercy in me as I finde Enemies of behaviour in you but if you walk stubbornly and frowardlie with me I will walke stubbornly with you Therefore it is that when the Saints stepp out of the way and walk unevenlie with God that he chafteneth and afflicteth them herecompenseth saith Solomon the righteous in this life that is he afflicteth the righteous when they go astray from his waies Put this together with that place in 1 Pet. 1. 17. we call him father that judgeth every man according to his works that is he doth this to his own children chasteneth and afflicteth them when their carriage to him is not upright Therefore saith the Apostle making this as a motive to that exhortation which followeth passe the time in fear take heed now of offending for we call him father that judgeth every man according to his works for though it be true that God is rich in mercy yet there must be a worthy walking for he holdeth not the wicked innocent though he deal wisely and lovingly wiâ—h his children yet he will be sanctified in them he will have such a carriage from them as befitteth those that are his children therefore as you would have him deal mercifully with you so you must walk worthy of his mercies The next Consectarie is this If God be rich in mercy then be willing to serve him you know a mercifull man a liberal man never wanteth workmen every man is willing to betake himselfe to a rich and merciful master That is the use I finde made of it in Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servest not the Lord with chearfulness of heart for the abandance of all things as if he should have said seeing he hath given thee abundance of all things he lookes that thou shouldest serve him with chearfulness therefore when you hear of the riches of Gods mercy you must make this use of it to be willing to serve him with chearfulness of heart So it is in Rom. 12. I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy c. that is if God have been so merciful to you then give up your selves to serve him altogether consecrate your selves wholly to him let your bodies and mindes serve for no other use but for his service for so it is when a thing is consecrated to the Lord nothing else hath to do with it but onely the Lord if he be therefore an exceeding merciful God give up your selves wholly to his service Object This is that we had need to exhort you to it may be every man will be apt to say we serve the Lord and who is there that serveth him not Answ. But my brethren the truth is we do not serve the Lord and whatsoever we say yet we serve other masters and not him we serve men we serve the world we serve our riches we serve our credits we serve our lusts and very few there are that serve the Lord that is look what men have an eye to in their actions that they serve Consider therefore what you do in your actions look what you do with respect to your wealth and profit therein you serve but your profit and not God look what you do with respect to honour amongst men therein you serve men and not the Lord the like I may say or other things so that if you examine your actions you shall finde that God hath but a little part in all your performances but still some by-respect cometh in between But you must know that all the talents that you have are given you for this end that you may serve your master with them all the riches the honour the strength the wit the learning c. that you have you should serve the Lord with them but we do not serve him altogether we serve respects of our own by respects we serve men with them when there is a man upon whom our rising dependeth it is wonder to see with what solicitude and vigilancy we serve him the like we may say of other respects that we have in things that concern our selves in these or the like we use the talents that God hath given for his service to our own advantage and not for our masters benefit When we do things in sinâ—…rity unto God as in the sight of God this is to serve the Lord this we should do in all our callings and therefore though â—…u must follow your callings yet as it is said of servants Eph 5 that though they serve men yet they are the servants of the Lord and therefore they were to do their service as unto the Lord even so should every man in his calling men should have their eyes upon the Lord do it because he commandeth them to do it because it tendeth to his glory because some honour will redound unto him thereby
for his mercy it is a sign that he would have his mercy to be his glory and excellency but I will stay no longer upon the proving of this point let us now make some use of it First If the mercies of God be his glory doubt not then but that when you come to ask at his hand any request that is meet for you he will be ready to grant it for it is his glory to shew mercy and God loveth his glory now if so be to shew mercy be his glory doubt not then I say of obtaining what you desire at his hands for glory is nothing else but the manifestation of some excellency to the view and knowledge of man When a thing is excellent and beautiful and is shut up we say it is beautiful but not glorious except it be explicated and spread abroad to the view of others as a peacock is then said to be glorious when he spreadeth abroad his feathers and the Sun is said then to be in his glory when he shineth in his brightness when Ahasuerus made that great feast he did it for the glory of his kingdom because in the feast his riches and potency was manifest therefore it made him glorious So doth the Lord if all his perfections were shut up in himself they were excellent but not properly glorious for glory is when any excellency is made manifest to the view of others therefore God iâ— said to be glorious when he manifesteth his mercy If therefore this be his glory then doubt not but that he will be ready to shew mercy to men that is not onely to be merciful in himself but to shew mercy to you learn hence now to strengthen your faith and to come with more boldness to the throne of grace and beseech God to grant you what you ask that he might glorifie himself when you have therefore occasion to ask any grace any help or any succour in temptation this will help to prevail with him Lord if thou shuttest thy hand and keepest thy mercy within thy self what glory wilt thou bring to thy self but if thou openest thy hand and manifestest thy mercy thence will glory redound to thee Secondly if Gods mercy be his glory or his excellency then let us praise him for his mercy let us give him the glory of it for that he looks for at our hands on Gods part there is but this to make him glorious viz. an explication or shewing of his mercy on our part it is required that we see it and take notice of it be inwardly perswaded that he is merciful Seeing now God hath done his part in making manifest his mercy let us also do our dutie and give him what is required on our part even to praise him for his mercy that is it which he looks for from his Children whatsoever others do Wisdom is justified of her children whatsoever others do let the Saints and children of God justifie him for his mercy let them say that he is merciful Others will not say it or at least they do not think it but as those wicked men that were devoured with fire that came from God brake cut into this speech who shall dwell with everlasting burnings even so every evil man thinketh God a cruel master thinkes him a severe judge this secret thought hath every evil man in him but yet let his children justifie him for his mercy let him say as David did yet God is good to Israel c. that is though he afflict them often yet he is good to Israel and to them that are of a pure heart Let us be readie to say as the Seraphims in Isay 6. holy and holy is the Lord of hostes it is spoken upon this occasion The prophet Isaiah was sent forth upon this errand to make the hearts of the people heavy this seemed a strange judgement God seemed to be very cruel to make their hearts heavy that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand yet they justified God notwithstanding that hee was holy so let us do though we see not the reason of all his wayes yet let us justifie him and say he is glorious and give him the praise of his mercy that is let us be perswaded of it our selves that he is merciful that he is not hard to the wicked that he is an indulgent father to his children and when we have don let us be ready to speak of it to others and indeed when we our selves have the sence of his mercies then we will be ready to speak of them to others then speeches will come from us easily naturally and plentifully but contrariwise when we are not inwardly perswaded of the mercies of God our selves our speeches of them come forcibly and sparingly and truly my brethren this is the reason we are so little in praising the Lord because our selves are not touched with a sence of his mercies we are not perswaded he is so exceeding merciful as he is we think better of men then we do of him therefore if any thing greive us we are readier to complain unto men then unto God and for matter of mercy we are exceeding in praising of those men that are merciful to us but we are not perswaded of the exceeding mercifulness of God for if we were we would be speaking of his praise we would be exhorting others to serve the same master but we are short in this and the reason is because we are not perswaded of the riches of his mercy our selves I will now add but one word more fully to convince you of the glorious riches of mercy that is in God because you may object Is God so merciful what is the reason then that he doth so sharply afflict even his dearest children why doth he afflict evil men with such a great affliction as hell iâ— selfe why are so many damned and why do so many perish while it is in his power to save them Lastly is he not an hard master to condemn many that could not be saved as the Gentiles that came not to the knowledg of the Gospel before Christs time and since also doth not God exact that at their hands which they could not perform and doth he not look to reap there where he did not sow how can we therefore be perswaded of his exceeding mercifulness I will answer all these breiflly For the first I answer that though God indeed be exceeding rich in mercy yet that doth not contradict his other Attributes though he be rich in mercy yet it contradicteth not his wisdom therefore he afflicteth his children otherwise he were not wise as you have heard heretofore at large Secondly though he be rich in mercy yet that contradicts not his juâ—…ice therefore he must deal with the wicked according to their sins for he holdeth not the wicked innocent their punishments therefore are great because their sins are great Thirdly for the multitude
Heb. 11. That is faith in Christ made him to chuse grace before the things of this world but it was not thus with the other he chose it not out of faith as Moses did that is he saw not Gods Commandments carnal men they do many things but they do them not to this end for then and not till then is a spiritual man strong when he will let life riches honor pleasure liberty and all go for Christ which he cannot do without faith The natural man will never do this this is the only property of faith which is a supernatural work in the soul and therefore the Holy Ghost saith they suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods that is they let them willingly go life and liberty and all shall go before Christ shall go A noble Romane may do some thing for his country and for himself but there is a by end in it that is he doth it not in a right manner to a right end but the spiritual strong man doth all things in a spiritual manner to a saving end the one doth it for vain glory but the other in uprightness of heart For in faith there is a double work First it empties a man that is as a man that hath his hands full cannot take another thing till he hath let his handful fall so when faith enters into the heart of a man it empties the heart of self-love self-will that is it purgeth out the rubbish that is naturally in every mans heart and lets all go to get hold on Christ all shall go then life and honour profit and pleasure and he is the truely spiritual man that can thus lose the world to cleave to Christ and miserable are they that cannot and by emptying himself of himself he is filled with the power of Christ. Secondly As it empties the heart of that which may keep Christ out of the soul so in the second place he seekes all things in God and from God that is he first seekes Gods Love and Gods blessing upon what he doth enjoy and then he goes unto secondary means and useth them as helpes but a man that wanteth faith he will not let all go for Christ he will not seek first unto God in any thing but unto secondary means and then if he fails that is if he want power to supply then it may be he will seek unto God and hence it is that he will not lose his life or liberty or honour for Christ because he sees more power and good in the creature then in God Again this makes the difference between the Christian and Christian namely Faith and hence it is that some are weak and others are strong hence it is that some are more able then others for the greatest duties of Religion as for example Caleb and Ioshua can do more then the rest of the people and what is the reason but because they were stronger in the faith then others And so Paul said of himself that he could do more then they all because Paul had a stronger faith for the truth of a mans strength is known by his strength of faith that he hath it discovers whether he be naturally strong or spiritually strong for this is the first work of the spirit after Humiliation in the conversion of a sinner namely to work faith in him and no sooner faith but assoon strength and the promise followes faith He that believeth and is baptixed shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mar. 15. 15. And this is the course that we take first we preach the Law unto you and we do it to this end to humble you and to break the hard disposition of your hearts that so they may be fit to receive Christ And when we have thereby humbled you then we Preach unto you the Gospel beseeching and exhorting you to believe in Christ for the pardon of sins past present and to come and to lay down the arms of Rebellion which you have taken up against Christ and you shall be saved And yet notwithstanding how few are either humbled by the one or perswaded and provoked by the other but are as the Prophet saith having eyes and see not ears but they hear not that is seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear as for example when a man is shewed a thing but yet he mindes it not that is the eye of the mind is upon another object that man may be said to see and not to see because he doth not regard it or a man that hath a matter pleaded before him hears it but his mind being otherwise imployed he regards it not in that respect he may be said to hear and not to hear because he mindes it not And what is the Reason that we Preach the Law and the judgements of God so much unto you and what is the Reason that we beseech and intreat you so often to come in and receive Christ and you shall be saved time after time and day by day and yet we see how little efficacie the word hath what is the reason that the word wants this effect in you as not to humble you what is the reason that you are not more affrighted with the judgements of God then you are what is the reason that you remain as ignorant and careless as ever you were but because you do not believe that is you want a true saving and applying faith for if you had the word would work other effects in you then it doth as for example if one should tell a man that such a benefit or Legacie is befaâ—n him that would raise him to great honour though before he lived but in a mean condition if this man did but believe it surely he would be affected with it and rejoyce So truly if you did but believe that Christs Grace and Salvation were so excellent and that Holiness and the strengthening of the Inward man would bring you to so happy a condition and estate as to be the heirs of Heaven you would rejoyce in Christ and grace onely Again if you did but believe that the word of God is true and that God is a just God I say if the drunkard did but believe that the drunkard shall be damned or if the Adulterer did believe that no Adulterer should inherit the Kingdom of God and of Christ or if the prophane person and the Gamester did but know that they must give an accompt for all their mispent time and idle words and vain communication they would not sport themselves in their sins as they do Again if we did but believe that God calleth whom and when he pleaseth and that many are called but few are chosen that is if a man consider that though here be a Church full of people yet it may be but a few of them shall be saved I say if a man did but believe this surely they would not defer their repentance That
which are means for the getting of the spirit Neglect none of the means because you know not in which nor when the spirit will come it may be he will come now and not another time it may be he will breath upon you at such a ordinance and not at another In Acts 9. whilest Peter was Preaching unto them The holy Ghost came upon them that heard him So be diligent in waiting upon the means and the holy Ghost at one time or other will come Again he could have sent the spirit to Cornelius without the sending for Peter in Acts 10 But Peter must be sent for and he must Preach unto him and then he shall receive the holy Ghost Thus much for the means and for this time CHRIST the best INHABITANT Text EPHES. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith I Have chosen this Text by reason of this Sacramental occasion which doth represent Christs dwelling in us and it is the second head of Pauls Prayer The first was That they might be strengthened in the inward man This That Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith Having in the former discourse opened the words I shall not need to adde any thing here The point hence arising is That it is a great prerogative of which all the Saints are partakers that they have Christ to dwell in their hearts The Apostle prayeth for it being directed by the spirit of God in his prayer and therefore we should esteem of it as of a great priviledge And as of that of which all the Saints are partakers because it is necessarie to salvation none are saved without it Now for the better understanding of it I will first of all shew you these two things 1. What it is to have Christ dwell in our hearts 2. What benefits we receive by his dwelling in them For the first what it is to have Christ to dwell in our hearts To this I answer That then Christ dwells in our hearts when as he works in them in another manner then he did before he hath other works and we see other effects then formerly First he shewes himself kinde and favourable to us inlightning giving comfort refreshing framing and ruling ouâ— spirits that beâ—ore he did not and he doth not in others he is said to dwell in the Temple because his eyes are upon it his ears are there open to hear the prayers of men his mercy seat is there T is true God fills heaven and earth yet he is said to dwell in the Temple because there he manifesteth his peculiar presence so the phrases of the Scripture are to be understood Go not up for God is not with you That is he will not assist you God dwells where he assists he dwells not where he helpes not That you may understand this consider these four particulars First where a man dwells he must come to the house and abide in it so Christ comes into the hearts of believers in whom he dwells and unites himself to them and their hearts to him And that is done by a double act of the Spirit First he humbleth and convinceth men of sin he makes some alive and us to be dead the way to life is death as the corn dies that it may live And this the spirit of bondage doth by putting an edge to the Law by making men desirous of Christ. Secondly the Spirit of adoption that unites us that perswades us that Christ is ours Love makes the union Faith is the agent in this union but it doth it by love as fire is said to heat though the qualitie doth it immediately when after sound humiliation we believe reconciliation with Christ there is a love to Christ then there is a union That is the first word he unites himself to the heart and it to him Secondly It is not enough for a man to come to the place to be conjoyned to it for a time but he must continue there else he dwells not there but is a stranger a dwell â—r must continue Christ abides with us for ever according to that everlasting Covenant which he hath made with 〈◊〉 Is 55. 3 He hath made an everlasting Covenant with us even the sure mercies of David He never seperates himself from us after he comes he continues for ever But it may be objected though Christ will not depart from us yet we may depart from him To this I answer that he will not suffer us to depart from him Ier. 32. 4. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That is I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me we are knit together without separation he never departs from us nor we from him The reason why we continue in the state of grace is not because grace is of an unsatiable nature for it is a creature and may vanish as all other creatures do But it never failes because it is in Christ and supported by his arm of omnipotencie The light in the air may quickly perish but if the sun be ever with it it never perisheth â—o the water of a stream may fail but if there be a spring to supply it it never fails grace may perish as it did in Adam but men ingrafted into the second Adam can never fall because Christ is never severed from them we have his word for it he keeps us by his power There is an everlasting Covenant on both sides The Sacrament se ls this unto us That God hath made a Covenant that he will never depart from it and we set our seal by it that we will never depart from him Gal 5. 3. He that is circumcised is bound to keep the whole Law So he that receives the Sacrament is bound he engages himself to keep the Law of faith and he receives that oath when he was baptized Thirdly where a man dwells there he must delight else he is not said properly to dwell there a man that is imprisoned is not said to dwell in the spirit because he delights not in it Now Christ is said to dwell in us because he delights in us Esai 62. 4. Thou shalt no more be called forsaken but Hephsebah because the Lord delighteth in thee presence argues delight God delights in the Saints therefore he dwells in them he works in them that which is pleasing to them Artifex amat opus proprium He loves his own workmanship Thus First God delights in them as in those that are beautiful Cant. 4. 1 2 3. Thou art beautiful my Love thou art fair Thou hast Doves eyes thy teeth are like a flock of sheep which are shorn which came up from washing thy lips are a thread of Scarlet thy Temples like a piece of Pomegranate Secondly as one delights in a garden so God delights in them Cant. 4. 12. because he hath
should be the deeper yet know this till thou art in Christ all is abominable before God and but lâ—st labour Phil. 3. 5 6. Paul he had a zeal enough in him before he came to believe in Christ and not only a good meaning but thought he did more and better then others and for his righteousness towards man he was unrebukeable none could come neer him but after he came to see it was a hindrance for that it was without Christ and so made him to run so far out of the way and therefore we must cast off all our own righteousness before we can be in Christ. This Paul saw and that made him come to Christ and say that he counted all loss yea but dung that he might win Christ and be found clothed in that righteousness which is by faith in him which before he could not attain unto notwithstanding he might have stood upon his priviledges and have boasted of the excellent things he had done yet was he fain to cast away all his confidence in the flesh that is his prerogatives righteousness and zeal c. and so must we cast away all our own righteousness and goodness and fetch all from God and serve God according to his wil and not after ourown phantasies or the prescripts of man dealing also truly with every one we have to do withall 'T is not our own righteousness but the relying on it that hinders and keeps a man from faith without which all is but abominable even our eating drinking and whatsoever we do is odious before God untill we come to get this true faith to triumph over condemnation A man when he is naked in in himself is then the fitter to be cloathed with Christs robe every thing is then sweet to him and so he comes to desire and say Come Lord Iesus A fourth means is a poor spirit and beggarly that is such a one as hath neither comfort within nor without when nothing will now so comfort him as the thinking of his present estate will humble him And this will make a man poor indeed though he be never so rich and bring him with David to say I am poor and needy Lord help me Psal. 70. 5. This will let him see that he is a poor Lazer begging at the gates of God who is rich in mercy And it is a further degree to bring him to Christ and make Christ to enrich him That which hinders many from coming to Christ is that they are full enough these whatsoever they say in words they indeed cast off Christs righteousness because their spirits are not cast down to beg at Gods hand if they have children honour wealth and professions tell them of condemnation they are proud and think themselves well enough they will tell you that they hope to be saved as well as the best But let such know all fulness dwells in Christ none at all in us in the matter of salvation Get Christ first to raign in thee that thou mayest after come to raign with him in glory A fifth means is the fair free large and great offer of Grace made in the Gospel where are they now that say they would and so would indeed believe Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world c. Here is a means to bring thee to believe indeed A strange thing that the Judge and partie offended should thus offer to every soul to whom the Gospel comes his Son that God himself should offer a pardon who would not strive with himself and sigh and groan yea even burst his heart in pieces to believe This is one of the specialest means of all to bring a man to believe that God himself the party offended should come and say here is my Son take him unto thee Labour therefore to get him lay fast hold on him and he will bless and comfort thee for ever If thou doest open thy heart and let him in he offers his son to thee to believe in And why Is it because thou art such a beautiful and great person c. No it comes from the love of his own heart and therefore it is free As thy righteousness cannot further it so thy sins cannot hinder it if thou lay but hold on it The offer is not onely to noble rich young c. But to all whosoever believes though never so mean poor old may take him go away with him and live with him for ever Many think they should have something of their own No God looks at his own love and so do thou that his love mercy grace may be magnified in thee Let us therefore stir up our sevâ—s and look and seek to God He will give his spirit to all his at one time or another A sixth means is to know that there is not onely a free offer but also a commandment to enjoyn us not to refuse and neglect Gods offer that is the greatest blessing that can be to have him come unto thee to raign over thee and subdue thy sin It is the spirit of God that would draw thy heart to believe open therefore and receive it Consider for this 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ And search thy heart to try if thou hast gotten such a faith God commands thee to believe and therefore it is not indifferent whether thou hast it or no or to think onely that thou hast it And this is a further means and that which leaves us without all excuse if we obey not A man oft times will do a thing upon command that else he would not do A Seventh means is to remember the fearful threatnings Ioh 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned because he hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God God sees all is little enough we have such carnal hearts consider that well and it will awaken thee out of thy security and make thee see thou canst not tell what to do if thou dost not get this faith which except thou dost seek to God for and get even this that here hath been said shall stand up in Judgement against thee another day Now to encourage thee hereunto know this that God hath promised that though thou canst not do it yet if thou seek to him he will help thee Go to God therefore upon his promise if thou wouldest not have thy portion with the condemned Devils He that will not believe hath nothing to uphold him against the guilt of conscience then the which there needs no more He that hath the wrath of an infinite God to wrestle withall cannot but be condemned The care of this therefore ought to be above all other care for wife children or any thing else in the world whatsoever But you are very strict and hard may some possibly say If thou think strange of this think strange of God for here is nothing spoken but from
God A eighth and a chief means is the word preached Rom. 10. 17. Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Therefore be careful to come as thou oughtest to the word and bring others under the sound of the Gospel which is the word of faith submit thy self to it and God will not fail thee this do and it shall com it will come yea it must needs come because God is faithfull and unchangeable stumble not therefore at any thing that is said by the faithful Ministers of Gods word if any weakness pass bear with it and take all in the best part If thou get this â—aith thou shalt eat and drink and slâ—ep and trade and live in the world with more comfort then ever thou didest and after live with the Lord Jesus for ever The last means is prayer which serveth as bellows to blow up all pray that thou mayest see consider and take to heart thy woful and lamentable estate by nature then will thy sighs and groans bestrong and powerful with God Pray with all that God will be pleased to humble thee and inable thee to do all as aforesaid To stir thee up to this lay thine ear and hear how the damned souls in Hell that neglected and refused grace do roar yell and howl that now would give worlds if they had them to enjoy the time that the Lord affords thee to repent in consider these things wisely and the Lord give thee understanding in all things CHRIST THE FOUNTAIN OF STRENGTH to all his SAINTS 2 TIM 2. 1. Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus NOw that we are met together to receive the Lords supper and to be partakers of that holy Sacrament we are seriously to consider what we are to do When we draw near to the Lord in such a holy business you shall find that there are two things to be done One is that every man is to examine himself that is to try whether there be any grace in his heart or no any beginnings of grace because if there be no grace a man eats and drinks his own damnation or judgement to himself Another thing is if there be any grace then the end of the sacrament is for the confirmation and the strengthening of this grace and to build him up further therefore we must consider how we should grow in that grace This text will help us in both these For in this inquisition whether there be anygrace in our hearts or no we must examine it by some characters of grace Now the principal character is that it makes a man strong grace giveâ— a man power and strength which is intimated in this Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus And then for the growth of grace the question is where we shall have it Surely it is to be drawn out of the fountain that is in Iesus Christ be strong in grace that is the grace that we receive from Iesus Christ. Now we do not take it immediately from him we do not come so near to the well-head but we draw it by certain conconduit-pipes there are certain veins and arteries that convey this grace from Christ to the heart of a Christian certain duggs by which we suck it from him and those are the Lords Ordinances the word and sacraments This text will give us opportuuity of both these The scope briefly is this when the Apostle had told Timothy what his own sufferings were how many difficult cases he had passed through saith he thou art my son thou must go in the same steps thy father hath gone before thee thou must also suffer persecution thou hast also the ministery of grace committed to thee therefore be strong in the Lords work But how shall he be strong Saith the Apostle nothing strengtheneth but grace be strong through the grace or in the grace c. that is it is onely grace that strengtheneth in the inner man that makes a man able to do spiritual and holy duties But whence shall we have this grace Saith he be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus that is the grace which is received from Christ Jesus not onely that which is received at our first conversion but which we receive continually As the Air receives light from the Sun by a continual influxion so there is a continual influence of grace from Christ. Adam had grace originally inherent in him but it is not so with us there is not that inherency though there be that also yet it differs from the other because the grace that we have now is wholly received from our conjunction with Christ Jesus We should therefore presently lose all if there were a disjunction between Christ and us And that is the ground why we cannot fall from grace because we cannot be divided from Christ. Now I say in these words you shall see a character or property of grace Thou my son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus This point then you see doth first offer it self to us evidently That It is the property or nature of grace to make us strong to make us able to perform the duties of new obedience So that now when you are to come to the Sacrament and to consider whether you have grace that is a business in which you may occupy your minds to consider whether you have this character of grace that it make you strong and able to do the work of the Lord. For the opening of this point I will do two things First I will shew you what grace is what is signified by this word Grace that we may understand what is meant by it Secondly I will shew you the reason why it makes us strong First of all grace it is a supernatural peculiar quality wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost whereby we are enabled to please God in all things First I say grace is a quality for you must know there is a double grace mentioned in the Scripture There is the grace of justification which is a thing in God alone it is his favour to us whereby he accepts us in his Son Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall have no dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace that is you are in the state of grace or favour with God so in Rom. 3. Ye are justified freely by his grace that is of his meer favour not of debt or due not by works But now there is mention made likewise of grace in other places where you shall see it is taken for an inherent quality as in Heb. 12. the last verse but one Seeing we have such a kingdom let us have grace in our hearts to serve him with godly fear and reverence Mark it Let us have grace to serve him that is let us labour to have this holy quality of grace wrought in our hearts that it
small moats inward failings it is grace therefore that makes the inside clean And not onely so but it makes us perform duties in a holy and lively manner it enableth us to do them to purpose To perform them in a holy manner for this is to perform duties in a holy manner when the heart is apprehensive of the presence of God in the businesse onely for holinesse is to sequester a thing and to appropriate it for the use of God onely so when thou comest to perform a good duty if thy heart be altogether looking upon the Lord so that nothing without have to do with it if nothing else come in and take up thy heart not the sight of men or the opinion of the creature or the by-respects of any thing none of these come and take a part of thy heart and use it â—s it were that is to perform a duty in a holy manner Otherwise whatsoever takes away the heart or sets it on work abates this holinesse for then the heart is not made peculiar to God in the performance of a duty for it meddles with common things Grace I say enableth to do this because grace sanctifieth that is it makes a man really and in good earnest appropriate and sequester his heart and minde to the Lord so that he onely looks to him to serve him holily in all duties so is it when we pray or preach or do any publique or private duty this is the holinesse of the heart when it is done onely to the Lord. Again I say it makes us perform duties not onely in a holy but in a lively manner for grace is the life of the soul. Where this life is not we may do duties but they are but dead works Vital actions are onely proper to grace because onely grace works life a man never comes to perform a work that is a living work but so far as it comes from grace grace is the fire of the holy Ghost Grace is to the soul as the lively and natural heat is in the body which onely acts it and makes it to do the works thereof So grace in the soul is that onely which begets livelinesse in duties wherewith they are to be performed Lastly I add it makes us perform them in a holy lively and substantial manner that is to do them to some purpose Take another man he doth these duties but to what purpose are they when we come to pray and to do these duties they are then done as they should be when the end is obtained then every businesse is done when the end of it is effected otherwise it is not done we do not say a thing is done because a man hath been about it but because he hath obtained that end for which he took the businesse in hand Consider now what is the end of the duties you do what is the end of your praying what is the end of your hearing is the end of your hearing edification is the end of your praying to be strengthened in grace prayer is a lost prayer except the heart be strengthened by prayer except the heart be made better and more composed into communion with God you pray not in the holy Ghost Now then examine your selves by this grace onely enableth a man so to pray that he shall grow more heavenly in every prayer whensoever any other prayer is made without this power of grace it is lip-labour it doth the heart no good And so for keeping of the Sabaoth The Sabaoth is made for man that is it is made for mans use for mans benefit for mans advantage What is the advantage we get by a Sabaoth That wee may be built up and grow in grace and in knowledge and the like Now a man without saving grace may abstain from all bodily labour and servile work on the Sabaoth day and be occupied in holy duties but to keep it so as to get advantage by it so as to get growth in knowledge and in grace so that he shall have a greater stock of grace laid up in his soul by the use of the ordinances upon that day this grace enableth a man to do So when a man comes to hear to purpose to hear so as to please God in his hearing to hear so as to get something into his heart by hearing this onely grace enableth to You know what our Saviour saith Luke 18. Take heed how you hear for to him that hath shall be given intimating that when you hear aright you have more given in then you had before Grace now enableth a man so to do the duty that there is not onely the task the businesse the work done and passed over but it is done to purpose So when you come to receive the Sacrament what is the end of your receiving onely to come or to come with some outward reverence or shews of devotion c No the utmost end of receiving the Sacrament is to get more strength of grace to get more assurance of Faith to get more perswasion of the love of God towards you that your sinfull corruptions may be more healed that the grace that is in you may be more enlivened I say grace enableth to do this and herein the power of it is seen for without the power of grace you may do all these things but not to purpose I cannot enlarge these thing but to finish this point I beseech you in a word consider whether you have the strength of grace in you or no otherwise you receive the Sacrament in vain And let no man think I will make up this with my absence and fit my self against another time that is not the way Not to sacrifice as well as to sacrifice amiss was a sin he that came not up to the passeover as well as he that came uncircumcised was to be cut off he that would not come to the feast as well as he that came not with the wedding garment they were both lyable to judgement therefore I say take heed And if there were no other argument to move men not to defer their conversion this were enough that if a man come without grace to the Sacrament he eats and drinks his own damnation if he defer to come he provokes the Lord to anger and if he come unworthily without grace he provokes him to anger likewise 2 TIM 2. 1. Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus THe next point that we are to handle out of these words is this That All grace is recived from Iesus Christ. We can receive no grace but from him and in him there is enough to be had There is none but from him we know nothing but what we are taught by him as a Prophet whatsoever we do is lost labour except it be made acceptable through him as a Priest we are able to overcome no lust to do no duty but through the power we have from him as a King Besides I
is contrary to Gods policy and that God hath thus done look into the stories of the Church and see if there was ever any good by done it we may find that much hurt hath been done what contentions rents and schismes have been made in the Church how many Churches have been ruinated by it As Arius his heresie was stirred up by this wherefore we must do with heresies as men do with a fire in a town leaving not a spark least it stir up novum insendium a new fire least it fall out in cutting up of heresies as it is in cutting up of weeds if the seeds do but fall there will be new weeds though not presently God commands that all heresies should be resisted therefore there must be no removing of some and admitting of other that God hath commanded so Ier. 15. 19. when Ieremy went on in such a course that the people began to contend with him he being weary of their clamors began to turn unto them nay saith God let them return to thee but return not thou to them and good reason that a string out of tune should be set to that in tune and not the other set out to that And therefore it was an excellent answer of a man to some that were better States men then Church men That Religion was of a stiff nature it would break not bend there must be no coming half way in religion Now when God commits a thing to us we must do it thoroughly One example we have in Moses who when God bad him take all away he would not leave a hoof so that if there be but the husks of heresie to cover it they must not be left no not so much as that which may cover the feet of heresie For then we do detractare mandato detract from Gods Commandement and especially they that sweep Gods house they must not suffer cob-webs to be in it least they breed spiders and they new cob-webs and so the Church become as defiled as ever it was 3. It draws not them to us but it is as tares that it may take hold of and pluck us to them and as stirrups that thereby they may get into the saddle Again it is not in Heresies as it is in the symbolizing Elements that they easily be transmutated one into the other therefore so far as in our power is let 〈◊〉 take that councel concerning heresies that Salomon gives of water to stop every crevis for else it will run in and make a breach and offer an inundation so let not us entertain a word of heresie especially let Ministers keep the hedge whole that there be no gap where the foxes may enter in for the small grapes must not be neglected see and understand the place Cant. 2. 13. 2. A second fault is when words are not sound for matter that concern practice as for defence of usury unjust non-residency from Livings c. we must take heed that in these we fail not of wholesome words And that for that place Mat. 5. 19. He that breaks the least Commandment and teaches men so shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven It is a fearful note that is affixed to the name of Ieroboam this is he that made Israel to sinne I confess it is good to know liberties as well as restraintments and I would have none to put a sore upon mens consciences except on good ground if matters be doubtful then let them alone onely that which is sure must be spoken in the pulpit yet of the two it is safer not to do them when dubious he that teaches any thing not to be lawful had best be sure least he make Israel to sin and least his words be like the words of Humeneus that fretted like a cankar an evil that soon overâ—â— reads the body Men in this case are like tinder and one or two words may set them on fire it is sure that to live at ones living and not take upon usury is safest And if men will do it let not the Minister have a hand in them for it is a fearfull thing to have other mens sinnes set on our score though our own be but small 3. A third is such as are unwholesome but more frequent The two former wounded Religion in the legges and arms but this doth Petere Iugulum kill it at the heart and that is when Religion is disgraced in the general by Puritanism or what terms soever If these words were onely heard in Taverns and desperate deboised persons spake â—…h desperate words it were no great matter but for the pulpit to bend this way is unwholesome Words against sinne are like fire in green wood that if it be not followed it will die but in this case an intimation is enough and it passes like lightning into mens hearts and consciences one push sets down the hill but it requires much labour to get up One stroke with the oars sets down the stream but it is hard to go against the stream since therefore men are tender in this case these words are to be taken heed of all that men can do is not enough to cry down sinne and all the arguments that can be used cannot restrain them If all Ministers should joyn together to cry down the Atheism of the times it were not enough How much to blame are they then that disgrace Religion and make it run into the rocks and dare not look out These Elimases cast dirt in the face of it on every side and well may they be called Elimases for as he perverted the straight ways of God so they make Religion seem crooked as water doth a staff and as a false glasse makes the face look deformed and God pronounces a wo against such Wo to them that make sweet things sowre It is no jesting matter to bring an evil report upon the holy land for God said they should not enter into it but die in the wildernesse But because these have something to say for themselves we will see their defence and I will we could quench their tongues set on fire by the fire of Hell Object 2. They say they speak against Hypocrites Answ. It were well if it were so and I would wish their words were as sharp as raisors to them for they make others fare worse but then what need this generality of Obloquies all are not Hypocrites as in a great payment some bad gold may crowd in so among Christians may be found Hypocrites It is a signe therefore that in thus speaking they call religious men Hypocrites and Religion hypocrisie Consider what makes an Hypocrite not the ill report of bold calumniators for then Christ should not be blameless If they call him Belzebub how much more you Act. 28. 22. The Iews tell Paul his sect is every where spoken against Neither do some slips or some grose sins make a Hypocrite for then David Salomon Peter and all the Apostles should be Hypocrites
For in many things we sin all but the course of life contrary to the profession as some flashes of goodness make not a good man so some slips make not an evil man therefore in thus speaking they speak against Christians It is not to be expected that Religion should be spoken against under the name of Religion For if the Devil could speak against it he would not speak against it under the name of Religion but Hypocrisie when therefore these words are so general and he that speakes them knowes they will not be so taken it is a sign that Religigion is spoken against under the name of hypocrisie and religious men under the name of Hâ—pocrites They say they speak against the shewes cannot men be religious say they in secret but they must hang out flags of it and be so much in appearing Where the truth of Religion is there will be showes painted Religion and painted fire cannot heat break â—orth or ascend but if it be true fire or true Religion it will break forth and shew it self as they say in the Spanish proverb three things cannot be kept in fire love and a mans cough so I may add grace as a fourth As there cannot be a candle in a Lanthorn but it may be seen through the horn so there cannot be true grace but there will be shewes so that shewes cannot be separated from Religion which is true no more then light from the Sun or heat from the fire Shews are commanded as well as substance for as the Glory of a King is in the multitude of his Souldiers so the Glory of Christ is in them that profess his Name we are commanded as well to confess in mouth as to believe in heart What need speaking against shewes in these blasting times which have nipt them in the head when all that can be said is not enough to keep men from denying of Christ. They say although they know not what to call it yet they love religion and religious men therefore they mean not them and they think it much uncharitableness to be so judged of Many while they thus speak that they conceive it not to be religion that they speak against I may say of them as Peter said of them that crucified Christ they did it of ignorance for had they known that they would not have crucified the Lord of life so if they knew it were religion they spake against they would not speak thus But it is their misery that they know it not and it is but a little excuse to say I was a blasphemer saith Paul but I did it out of Ignorance and zeal so Christ saith the Jews knew not what they did and yet his blood shall be required of them Yea it is upon them as we see at this day and Iude saith they spake evil of the things they knew not and yet their sentence is they shall be reserved to the blackness of darkness So though they know not that it is religion that they speak against yet they are persecutors and God accounts them so Saul heard a voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when he himself thought he had done well And if they say Lord we know it not I will answer them that in as much as they did it to these they did it to me In other cases there is a difference and some plead for ignorance as if a man kill another man in stead of a stag he is no murtherer but if a man strike at Religion with his tongue though he knew it not he is a blasphemer because he is bound to know for if a man be brought up among hereticks he is an heretick because he is bound to the contrary Let these therefore that have used these speeches kick no more against pricks least they bring that curse on them which was on them that brought an ill report upon the holy-land viz. that they should not enter into it The second use is for hearers that they have a part in this exhortation as well as Ministers as they must deliver nothing but that which is wholesome so they must receive none else and there are two duties for them First As the Minister must not mingle any thing in his preaching but that which is sound so hearers must be careful not onely that they do not here gross points of heresie but if there be any tincture of error in the points they hear they must not maintain them As one that hath an Antipathy with a thing as with a serpent will not onely be affraid of it whilest it is alive but he is loth to handle the skin of it though it be stuft with hay So hearers should be afraid of the tincture of the skin of heresie A man cannot be too curicus of infectious things for as he will not come into the house where they are so he will not touch the cloth of those that have them For we ought to hate the garment spotted with the flesh First Hearers must be rightly disposed to receive that which is wholesome and therefore three duties in scripture are commanded to hearers 1. To be able to discern that which is wholesome that which is not 1 Thes. 5. 21. prove all things 1 Ioh. 4. 1. try the spirits that is get spiritual tasts whereby you may judge of it for as the pallat or the taste diserns corporal food so there is a faculty in every regenerate soul for this end that it may discern betwixt that meat which is wholesome and that which is not As a natural mans taste is a signe of natural life so a spiritual taste is a signe of a spiritual life and it is certain that they whose pallats are not vitiated with corrupt humors can judge of their meat Rom. 12. 2 be transformed in the renewing of your mindes to try as a Toutch-stone doth the silver what is the acceptable will of God from that which is not And they that finde not this taste in them either they have no spiritual life or else their pallats are vitiated with corrupt humors If therefore we want this discerning taste we must labour to get it if we be sick and our pallats do corrupt we must labour convalescere to wax whole that so we may judge a right For as the best hearers love the purest word so the hearers whose hearts are full of corruption love the froth of eloquence Secondly To desire that which is good 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word As if he should have said there are no babes but they will desire the dugge Perhaps you may keep them quiet with apples a while but they will cry for it at length And if you have once tasted of the sweetness of the Word you will desire it when you have found out what meat is nourishing then desire it that is chuse the savourest meat read the books that are must
creatures are made known by many things that are not their names as by qualities and accidents but whatsoever God is made known by is his Name therefore to abuse his creatures oâ— the works of his mercy since he is made known by them is a taking of his Name in vain and these that do so God will not hold them guiltless if not those that take his Name in vain in other things much less in this therefore the Word is like Ionathans Bow it never returns home empty it is like the Sun that softens wax but hardens clay so that if the Word light on a muddy heart it makes it worse if on good it softens it and makes it better There is not a Sermon which is heard but it sets us nearer Heaven or Hell On the contrary not repeating is the cause that many are alwayes learning but never come to the knowledge of the Truth Suppose all that is delivered be not profitable mind that which is and know there is a necessity laid on these If a man be convinced of the truth let him take heed how he omits it for if he do he shall be beaten with many stripes because sinne grows out of measure sinful If whatsoever be delivered be meat to nourish Physick to heal then we must learn to esteem it much What is the reason that men account of the Phylosophers Stone so much if it could be got Why do men labour all their lives for it and spend their Estate to get it when they see so many before them to have lost their labours It is true it heals all the diseases of the body but this heals all the diseases of the soul and this may be attained the other cannot Let us therefore as Salomon bids us buy the truth that is beat any pains for it lose outward contentments for it and when we have got it sell it not for pleasure idleness or things that will not profit us and this we would do if we were as sensible of spiritual diseases as of bodily for then we would turn the Word over and over and find plaisters for our sores If a man be troubled with the Stone or Gout whither will he not go and what will he not give for remedy so if a man have but the least grain of grace in him he shall find spiritual diseases as sore as temporal If we did see our diseases we would to the Word and get them healed we would gather reasons and apply them in particular 1 Suppose a man have a disease like a Feaver an inflamation of lust see what reasons the Word hath against it and apply them in particular First if they take their pleasure they shall lose their profit in God for an hours pleasure eternity of pain This consideration caused Iob to make a Covenant with his eyes not to look on a maid Secondly consider what great punishments are to the works of sin and iniquity Iob 31. 3. strange sins have strange punishments Thirdly sweet sins have bitter punishments this sin of lust or any other pleasing sin is sweet therefore the punishment must be bitter as sweet as honey at first but as bitter as gall after as soft as oyle but as sharp as a raisor Fourthly it is an irrecoverable disease they that go into it return not again neither take hold of the wayes of life that is ordinarily they do not Make a plaister of these reasons and apply them and they will heal 2. Suppose a man hath a swelling of pride see what the Scripture saith of it First God resists the proud he sets himself against him think then that God is thy enemy the mighty God that doth what he will in Heaven and Earth Secondly God sends the proud empty away he may fill him with honour and things that may do him more hurt but he sends them away empty of good things Thirdly God knows him afar off Fourthly it brings destruction when a wall swells it is nearer breaking so when the heart is puâ—t up it is nearer destruction apply these reasons and they will prick the bladder of pride and make it flat and will bring down the pride of the heart Suppose a man hath a Paralysis or a Palsie of anger that a man would be quiet and cannot Consider first Anger rests in the bosom of fools all anger comes of folly else when a mans anger is over why doth he repent him of what he hath done Secondly it comes from pride cure pride and heal anger Thirdly it is a shame to be angry for a fool is known by his anger but a wise man covers his shame It is a shame to be drunk so to be angry for anger distempers the soul as drunkards doth the body for all these are as drunkenness and the actions that proceed from them as vomits Suppose a man hath a leturgy of idleness consider first it brings beggery secondly it makes our Sacrifices dead our prayers cadaverosa sacrificia carcases of sacrifices and have neither life nor soul in them as the carcase hath the lineaments of the body but wanting soul none delight in it so prayers have the lineaments of a dury but wanting life God abhors them Apply this medicine and it will quicken us and make us shake off this disease Suppose a man hath a humor of vain glory see what the Scripture saith of it First he hath his reward his applause is the reward and he shall have no other And will it not be a terrible thing when a man hath performed a duty and hath applause of men and no more for God to say to him thou hast thy reward Secondly it is an empty thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a bubble with a mans breath it is soon broken Suppose he hath a plurisie of security consider first I Prov. 32. ease slayeth fooles it s an ordinary thing whereby fooles forget God Secondly it brings sudden destruction as a plurisie brings present death if a man be not let blood Esa. 47. 11. Evil comes and he knowes not the cause of it mischief falls on him and he knowes not how to put it off desolation comes suddenly and he knowes it not labor therefore to be let blood speedily Lastly suppose a man have an unfavoury breath of evil speeches First pray with David Psal. 141. 3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips Secondly as unsavoury breath comes from unsound lungs So evil speeches come from an unsound heart therefore preserve good things in thy heart and the speeches that come from it will be good For out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh What goods are in the work-house are brought in the Shop Let therefore this plaister be laid to the sore and abide there for so it must si morbus sit contumax if the disease be violent As the word healeth those that be sick so it nourisheth and strengtheneth babâ—s and
had better to have wanted the Kingdom Gehazi had better to have wanted Naamans courtefie there goes a curse with those things that we have in that manner when we have them without prayer or when we have them by a common providence when we receive them in the neglect of this duty and yet in the mean time we may have as much as others And though this be that which men are ready to object yet this is the way to forfeit all that they have As you know when men will be ready to take in their goods at the Custom-house and to steal the Custom oft-times it is the way to lose all the whole fraight and to for feit their whole venture So it is here when we use the means that God hath appointed and walk in his way and observe his ordinances then we shall have mercies at Gods hands And when God bestowes them not in mercy as a blessing for so he doth not except you seek to him you must needs conclude that you not onely have them as a curse but in having them out of his way you forfeit all the rest Therefore I say prayer indeed is the means to obtain any thing at Gods hands Hezekiah prayed and he was delivered But here one causion is to be added and that is that it is not every kind of prayer it must be such a prayer as the Lord looks for at â—ur hands it must be a prayer so qualified as he hath appointed for though it be true that prayer be the key that opens the door into the Lords treasury and when we go about to open this lock we must have this key otherwise we go in a wrong way yet faith is the hand that must turn this key There are certain conditions required in prayer Every customary formal ordinary prayer will not prevail with God No 〈◊〉 Saint Paul saith I serve him night and day but I serve him in the spirit you must pray in the spirit that is when you pray to the Lord you must pour forth your spirits to him in your petitions your suites that you make to him must not be such only as your understandings dictate to you but the will and affections the intentions of your souls must go together in the performance of the duty otherwise it is but an hypocritical performance of the duty For this is hypocrisie when a man is neither willing to omit the duty altogether nor careful to do it in that manner that he ought Therefore you must know that you may make a prayer that is but the expression of your 〈◊〉 and will he think you receive such a prayer as thâ—… No your prayers must be an expression of those holy â—esirâ—â— that arise from the regenerate part it must be the voice of the spirit in you that is the voice of the regenerate part stirred up and acted by the Holy Ghost When your prayers are such prayers though it be true 〈◊〉 flesh is mingled with them they will prevail for â—hat is still required Therefore I say every prayer will not prevail it must be such a kind of prayer as God appoints Now why hath God appointed prayer It is that our hearts may be quickened and drawn near to the Lord that our hearts may be put into a fitter frame of prayer And therefore when thou shalt pray and thy heart never a whit the warmer never a whit the nearer drawn to God by it the business is not done For the same rule is true in this as in other things a business we say is not done when the end is not obtained when the enterprize is not brought to pass So I say you have not prayed say what you will express what you will except your hearts are made warmer by it and drawn nearer to God by it and brought to a better frame by it When you edifie your selves this is the prayer God accepts Therefore we must take heed of that common errour that because we hear that prayer will prevail therefore we use some certain formalities and make some petitions and so we do make account to prevail with God this is the common errour of people we are deceived in this it is not every kind of prayer that will do it An ordinary prayer would not have recovered Hezekiah and restored him to health It was the fault of Gehazi when he had got the staff he thought to recover the child but he wanted Elisha's spirit A man may make a prayer to God but when he wants the spirit of prayer he cannot expect an answer for the promise is not made to such Therefore when we deliver this point to you that prayer is an effectual means to prevail with God for any thing you must understand that those conditions must accompany it that the Lord requires And so much for this point he prayed to the Lord Who spake unto him We must be very brief in this because we hasten to the next verse Two things we may observe out of these words First That We ought to observe what answer the Lord gives to our prayers You see the Holy Ghost notes it here he prayed to the Lord and the Lord gave him a good answer he told him that the thing he desired should be done I say we should learn when we seek to the Lord to consider what answer we have from him Otherwise we do as children that shoot arrows and consider not where they light When we send our prayers and consider not what answer they have it is an argument that we do it not in faith we do it not diligently but in a negligent manner When a Fowler layeth baits and snares to catch birds if he believe them to be effectual he will be still looking to them to see whether any thing be taken or no to see what successe he hath When we come to call upon the Lord we should consider whether our prayers prevail what success they have You see Elias when he prayed to the Lord he sent his servant to see what answer the Lord had given and he sent him seven times to see whether any cloud appeared he was very dilegent to consider whether the Lord gave him any answer to his prayers Whensoever therefore we call upon the Lord we should observe that For indeed in this our walking with God doth consist when we converse with the Lord from day to day as we ought It stands not in this onely that we open our minds to him and make our requests known to him but that we should consider what the Lord doth unto us back again If the Lord grant our requests we ought to take notice of it that we may praise him and give him thanks If he do not answer them that we may consider what the cause is Many causes it may be there are why the Lord doth not hear It may be thou doest not pray aright It may be thou retainest the love of some
particular sinne in thee It may be God doth it for the tryal of thee It is good for thee to observe When any thing falls upon men amisse and contrary to their expectation or to their prayers they are ready to attribute it to other causes it is good rather to say that thou hast prayed amisse and that is the cause of it When a man is distempered in his health either he will say that he hath not taken physick or else it was not physick fit for him it is still forgotten whether he hath prayed to God or whether he hath prayed amisse In Iames 4. there the cause is given you have either not prayed or prayed amisse you ask and receive not because you ask amisse therefore you do not obtain It may be I say that that may be the cause why thy prayers are not heard that thou prayest amisse Therefore you should do in this case as a fisher-man doth that hath cast a bait and hath waited long and nothing taken he takes up the angle and sees whether or no the bait be well placed and whether things be in the right order or no. When we see we do not obtain any thing at Gods hands by our prayers that we have sought the Lord and got no answer let us look well to our prayers and see whether there be not something amisse there Besides it may be when thou prayest thou art mistaken in the thing thou askest it may be the thing thou desirest is not good for thee for there are many cases wherein we seek to the Lord wherein we are perswaded that if we had it it would be good for us but if it were granted it may be it would be our undoing The Lord denies many things to a man in mercy as he grants many things to men in judgement It may be thy great advantage that though thou pray and pray earnestly yet thy requests are denied Again it may be the Lord hath done the thing but in another manner then thou expectest many times the same thing is done though not in the same fashion A man desires money and riches it may be the Lord denies him that and gives him meat and drink and cloathing A man desires his enemies may be at peace with him God denies him this it may be but he gives him a helmet to bear it off and so for other things I say it is to be considered that the Lord may do the same thing in another manner though it be not in the same kind that we expect Besides God may do it by another means then we look for Commonly we pitch upon some means which we think if it fail all is gone but the Lord may go another way to work I will instance no more in these things for this is not the thing that I must stand upon Onely I say that when we make our prayers to God we must consider what answer we have of them And this we should do upon this occasion of Thanksgiving when we have sought to the Lord in prayer and fasting as we have done we are now to consider what answer the Lord hath given he hath removed the judgement we must set it down among the memorandums of his mercy that he hath heard our prayers and healed our land But I say I must not stand upon this The second thing that is to be observed is this And the Lord spake to him Observe that When we pray to the Lord he is exceeding ready to hear As we see he was ready hear to hear Hezekiah And so David and Asa and Iehoshaphat so he will do to us to the end of the world when men seek to him Onely this must be considered that the Lord hath an ear open to our prayer but if it be no prayer if it be but a lip-labour if it want the conditions of prayer the Lord rejects it And this is not because he hearkens not to it but because it is no prayer Therefore make account when thou goest about to pray that God doth encline his ear to hear that is he doth not onely hear the prayers of his servants but also of those that are carnal men of those that are strangers and that are without the covenant as yet As you shall see 2 Chron. 12. It is said that Rehoboam and the Princes humbled themselves and sought to to the Lord and Rehoboam was not upright hearted yet because he and the Princes did humble themselves the Lord did not destroy them but sent them deliverance So did he to Ahab he heard him And so it may be the Lord hath done with us in removing this judgement though it may be our prayers and our humiliation and fasting have been but overly and perfunctory yet it may be the Lord hath heard us for he is ready to hear prayers Although mens hearts be not humbled aright in their prayers yet when men are humbled in any manner before him to shew that he is ready to hear prayers he hears them And this is a thing that should wound our hearts and break them more then any thing in the world to make us see that the Lord is patient and long suffering that though the humiliation of men he not sound and according to what he expects yet he is ready to remove the judgement And this use we should further make of it that if the Lord hear when humiliation is not found what wil he do when our prayers are servent and sound when our humiliation is perfect This is a thing that we ought to take notice of that when the Lord is so ready to hear we should be encouraged to pray and to seek unto him For when the Lord shall do as he hath done with us when he shall stay the plague when he shall say to it as he doth to the raging sea thus far thou shalt go and no further when we look upon this and observe this dealing of the Lord we should have a store house of such experiments as these that we may learn thereby to know the Lord and to trust him that we may be encouraged thereby to seek unto him For when such actions as these are slighted we take his name in vain and the Lord will not hold us guiltless if we take his Name in vain no more will he if we pass by these actions of his without taking notice Therefore it is well that such a day as this is set apart that we may remember it and consider what answer the Lord gives our prayers and acknowledge it but I will not stand to enlarge this The next words are And he gave him a sign You know there is a double ground of asking a sign One is when a man asks a sign to tempt the Lord. As the Iewes asked a sign not out of a desire to profit by it but because they would see what the Lord would do and this Christ denyed them this is a sinful asking of
debt And the strength of the argument is thus If Christ had not risen again but been still in the power of the grave and kept under by the enemy of our salvation the poor believer might have been justly afraid his debt had not been paid but Christ being risen and out of hold he is out of doubt As when the debtor sees the Kings Son that was his surety at liberty and in the Kings Court he fears not but his debt is paid so when the poor believer sees Christ set free from the power of the grave c. he knows God hath accepted the payment he hath made as sufficient for him Let us therefore look upon our selves as having a part in Christ and know whatsoever he did it was for us even for every true believer so that he rising again we rise again which being so it manifests that God hath accepted Christ his payment if any thing could hinder it must be death and the grave but Christ being risen they have lost their power and so none able to condemn Rom. 6. 9. Christ rose for us never to dye again and therefore that we should never dye eternally A third reason is taken from the sitting of Christ at the right hand of God which puts all out of question that he paid our debt when he laid down his life in that he is risen and ascended up to his Father Now God would never have admitted him to sit at his right hand had the work been unfinished but now being ascended to the right hand of his Father where he is advanced to the highest pitch of honour glory and Majesty and that in our Nature sitting in full authority King of heaven earth there for ever by his spirit to gather and guide all his children and quell the power of their enemies it is apparent that our Sureties payment is accepted so that now nothing can condemn a Believer not his conscience nor any thing else can condemn him and therefore he may triumph over all accusations In the fourth place add unto all this that Christ doth not onely sit at Gods right hand but so as that he also maketh intercession for every true beleever having not onely power but even the same good will and mind that ever he had to do them good consider this well whether thou beleeving needest to fear the face of any enemy whatsoever The poor man that was indebted to the great King For whom the Kings son was pleased to undertake and satisfie when he sees him come out of prison set at liberty in his fathers Court in greater honor and not onely so but highly favoured of the King his father and continually requesting him for that poor man What needs he now care for all his enemies He need not be affraid to look all officers in the face c. Is this the secure and happy estate of every true believer out of himself in Christ. Then see the necessity of using all those means and that constantly whereby Christ our Blessed Redeemer is pleased to communicate himself and this his grace unto us Faith is a special gift and grace and comes from God in Christ and Christ he comes onely in the meanes which are channels and conduit-pipes Therefore if thou wouldest have this grace and be strengthened and increased therein even as thou wouldest have thy soul thus dignified use carefully all the means As The word which is the Scepter of Christs Kingdome submit thy soul to it If thou wilt have an excellent spirit such a one as Ioshua had pray to God for it and take heed of grieving the spirit of God by continuing in the practice of any known sin which is as water that quenches the fire but rather cherish thy faith and put fuel unto it by constant consionable hearing reading prayer meditation receiving the Sacrament holy conference and watching over thy heart For if thou put fuel to thy faith and keep away that which may quench it thou shalt clearly see this blessed truth and find the power of faith in this that hath been said Therefore as thou wouldest have this confidence and comfort in thy heart and soul use the means for it The dilligent hand becomes rich in Gods ordinary providence and so mayst thou in this grace if thou use diligence there is no way else Therefore whilst thou hast time use the means give attendance to the word and all those heavenly meanes before mentioned It s true indeed Christ hath freed himself by dying rising again and bring at the right hand of God and this I believe saith the poor soul in the midst of his fears temptations and troubles of mind but how should I bee comforted in knowing that I am freed from all that danger and condemnation which my sins do deserve Yes upon this ground every beleeving soul and so thou if thou doest believe mayest be sure to be freed as Christ himself is freed and that even because Christ undertook and did all this for the poor believing soul and he had not done it but for him Esai 9. 6. Toâ—us a child is born to us a Sonne is given All he did was for us and for our Salvation so that if Christ hath any happiness thou believing in him mayest be assured of it as Christ himself All Gods intentions towards thee are founded in love else how should that be true Iohn 3. 16. God so Loved the world c. Christ also took all upon him for our sake even to redeem and save us he needed not have done it for himself for he was God in glory c. lift up therefore thy heart by faith and beleeve this and thou shalt find it true though we miserable wretches are unworthy of any such mercies yet is God worthy to be believed Look on Christ and consider who he is and reflect it upon thy self and if thou canst believe the Lord Jesus hath done all this for thy sake To help and strengthen thee to this First Consider Christ did it for us that believe as a surety we were all bannk-rupts in the law of God for want of obedience thereunto now Christ the surety of mankind comes and undertakes for us and hath done iâ— Hebrews 7. 22. He was made surety of â—a better testament Therefore think on him alwayes as thy Surety in glory Christ there is said to be a Surety of better things then the legal Rites were even of the New Testament wherein whatsoever is contained it is for us and there it is treasured up ask and thou shalt have seek and thou shalt find All he did he did as my Surety all the evil he took away and all the good he purchased it was for me A second means or help to strengthen thee if thou art one that art humbled for sin and desirest more and more to believe is to know that God hath bound himself and sworn to it and he is true though every man